During the Ukrainian counteroffensive, F-16 fighter jets will not be applied, but all ground weapons will be put into action.
Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov stated this in an interview with NHK.
When asked about the F-16 fighter jets that Ukraine has long sought to acquire, Reznikov replied that they would not change the situation this summer.
Some Western countries are involved in or have offered to train Ukrainian pilots to operate these fighter jets.
Reznikov noted that it would take time to train Ukrainian pilots, and Ukraine also needs to negotiate with partners regarding the provision of engineers and technical personnel who can handle the maintenance and repair of these aircraft.
He added that Ukraine will be ready to deploy the F-16 fighter jets in autumn or winter.
It was previously reported that the transfer of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine could take several months at best. This was stated by U.S. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall. He noted that these are still relatively short terms, as it usually takes over 2 years to train a new American pilot to operate such an aircraft.
Photo: open sources
